blueprints

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

One of my favorite things about my new found love for sewing is when I look through catalogs and I see something super adorable and I am able to say to myself, "Self, you can make that." I love going through stores (especially the kids section) and seeing a really cute dress or top and thinking, "I wonder how they made that?" And than with closer inspection, I am able to figure it out and see that I could duplicate that same dress for a fraction of the price. There are a lot of times where I just buy the dress because let's be honest, I could never find or afford the same fabric they used which made it so cute to begin with. I feel like I am being let in on a very mysterious secret when I can duplicate name brand things. Does that make sense? Let me explain further. I got my Pottery Barn Kid catalog the other day and I was so excited when I saw Halloween costumes on the front. I love Halloween. It is my favorite holiday ever! I love dressing up and Halloween gives me the perfect excuse to do it and not be stared at oddly for doing it. Yes, I have been known to dress up even when it is not Halloween. It tends to happen when we are moving and I am going through old clothes that I don't want anymore, for some reason the clothes that are destined for Goodwill end up on me to make up some crazy ensemble. It's just fun. It makes packing fun that is for sure. Anyways, in the catalog they were selling this adorable costume......for $59!!!! That's Pottery Barn for ya. I was just tickled to death when I looked at the costume closer and realized, I could make that same costume and not spend $59 on it. I mean really, its just a bunch of felt. Felt is one of the cheapest fabrics at Joanns. So, the question is...am I crazy enough to do this? I think I am. I really want to make this for Elsie, wouldn't she just be adorable? I haven't been able to stop thinking about this costume and that is usually a good sign that I am going to attempt this. I'll let you know what the result is. I can't wait! Also another thing that I saw in the catalog were these adorable owls.I gained some sewing confidence after I made Mr. Humpty Dumpty and I think that is why I think I am crazy enough to try to make one of these little guys too. Poor Elsie, I hope she doesn't grow up resenting me for making everything she owns.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Sunday, September 27, 2009

I use these popsicle cutouts in my preschool class so the kids can identify what job they get to do that day.

This is what the group looked like. I made 8 this year.

usually I color these popsicle kids with markers, crayons, or colored pencils...

my husband said, "I'm surprised your not using fabric and making them outfits (laugh, laugh, laugh)

except then I thought - What a fabulous idea. (Don't you love the one on the left made by Olivia, my TA?) Jason is truly my muse whether he likes it or not. Always as a wise-crack or jest he ignites some of the best or cutest ideas ... Thanks Hon.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

I feel like I'm being a bit of a blog hog, but I just wanted to give a quick shout out to our good friend Brassy Apple! Yesterday she debuted her newest pattern, The Kitschy Corset Apron. Check it out:

Isn't it sassy? I love it!

I was lucky enough to be a tester for the pattern. It was so much fun to make, and Brassy's detailed and photographed instructions made it so easy. There are so many ways you can make this apron your own. This is what I came up with:

Kinda Halloweeny, huh? I can't wait to try more.

Get the eBook pattern here...or you can wait until next month to get the printed pattern.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

I am so excited! Not only did I wash and fold all my kids laundry in one day (quite a feat for me), I won a $25 gift certificate to my favorite online fabric shop, Above All Fabric! (I know, the two aren't very comparable, are they?) Melanie, who is a fellow Arizonan, has been hosting "You Made It Mondays" in honor of National Sewing Month. She features things people have created from the fabric they purchase from her shop. She featured mine! I'm so lucky. And grateful! Check it out here:

Cade is turning 5 and is obsessed with dinosaurs, so I bought this super sweet dinosaur fabric (Oh Boy! by David Walker) and made the little party bags that will have their dino bone excavation gear in it.

Right now, Above All Fabric is having an awesome sale on most of the fabric. She's preparing room for new stuff (like maybe the new Sandi Henderson I just blogged about, I hope!).

Okay, I know this is a sewing blog, but please allow me to share this with you...'cause I'm super excited. I decorated my first fondant cake this weekend, and I'm pleased by the results. There are so many flaws, and I have so many questions that will take lots more practice, but I'm glad I got the initial one over with so I can keep practicing! So here she is:

It was a three day process for me because we had such a busy weekend, so I had to break it up. Friday night I made the marshmallow fondant, which is so much easier than I thought it'd be. I was just planning on buying some Wilton fondant at Joann's, but read and heard how awful it tasted. Anne suggested that I make it, and I'm glad I did. I watched a couple of tutorials on youtube that really helped. Saturday morning I made and assembled the cake. Saturday night I rolled out and put the white layer of fondant on the cake. Sunday I colored and cut out the flowers. It didn't seem so bad when I broke it up into little steps.

My cheesiness. I won't even show you the other "crazy" pictures. You know how crazy I can get. (Turn to the left! :))

But to me, the best part is the actual cake. I wanted to make the inside really cute just in case the outside didn't turn out. I made a rainbow layer cake. It's really easy. Just mix up two boxes of white cake mix. Split it up into six bowls (a little over a cup each), color each a different color, then bake in six separate cake pans. I don't have six (um, who does..and if you do I want to come bake in your kitchen!), so I did three at a time. When they have all cooled, cut the cakes to make them level and assemble, adding frosting between each layer. Whalah! A pretty rainbow cake!

Saturday, September 19, 2009

I found these cupcake holders over at Bake it Pretty and it just made me think of our Christie, the yummy baking cuppycake girl of the SSC. Long may she reign and continue to make Key Lime Cupcakes... Look they also have them in Damask for crazies like me... because you know that Damask is technically Toile's little sister or bff - any way you figure they must be kin.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Thank you all for your submissions in naming our ladyquinn. Out of all the suggestions submitted I chose my 10 favorites and had each of the members of the SSC vote. They each received 5 votes and the one with the most votes won. But before announcing the winner I would like to pay homage to the top name suggestions...

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Hey Ladies,
If you notice on the calendar - I inserted my house to host every other week. I love that everyone is taking turns hosting and it's fun to go and hang out at everyone's houses, but I thought we could meet at my house every other week as kind of a home base. It's really just for size issues, I have the biggest (and crappiest built - be sure to ask if your chair is safe to sit on - right Christie?) table and I know it might be easier for some to lug their machines about if they are sure they will have a good sized space to work in. So for now I will plan on hosting biweekly. If you have any comments or concerns please let me know. THANKS!!

Monday, September 14, 2009

In the spirit of the upcoming Christmas season we have a few Christmas/Holiday aprons already up in our Etsy shop and would love to add the little bonus of FREE SHIPPING on any of our Christmas aprons until October 15th! Bake your treats, host your holiday festivities and decorate your home in Christmas style! So, if you are anything like us and like to start preparing for Christmas a little early, head on over to our Etsy shop and take advantage of FREE SHIPPING on any of our Christmas aprons. Here's a little preview (with more aprons to be added soon!):

Santa's Little Sweetheart Apron By ChristieSanta Baby Apron by Jill

Santa's Sweetheart Adult Apron by Christie

** If there is any interest for a Santa's Little Man apron for your son/grandson, please leave a comment letting Christie know. I have the design in my head and would love to make it if anyone is interested in it!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

This is Meg from Brassy Apple, modeling herlatest apron design, Lucy. Isn't Meg and her apron so adorable? Wouldn't you like an apron just like hers? Well, here is your chance.

About a year or so ago we bought ourselves a "ladyquinn" to model our aprons on. Many of us were prego at the time and aprons weren't looking right on our overly curvaceous bodies.

Our "ladyquinn" is a buxom girl as you can see (compared to Stacey who isn't?) But I like to think of her more as a robust size 10/12, as compared to modern day "tiniquinns" where they have to use clothes pins to get the size 4 t-shirts to fit.

Okay... so this plus sized princess needs a name and what better way to give her a name then offer a giveaway and throw in a free apron.

In order that she can truly be a contributing member of the SSC we are asking our online friends to name this buxom beauty and if your name gets the most votes you will win... would you like to see the prize?

Here it is! It's a double sided apron. I made it from the Lucy apron pattern. This is the reverse, I used a tealish colored Asian inspired fabric.

And this is the front, brown fabric with ultra mini polka dots, the ties are a limey green. And the pi-ace de resistance, my first and most favorite ever applique.

This apron is actually famous. Meg used this very applique as an illustration in her Lucy pattern. true. How many free apron giveaways can boast that they are featured in the actual pattern?

Okay so here are the rules. You have a week.

1. I will end this giveaway Midnight (AZ time) Wednesday Sept 16th.

2. Every name you suggest is an entry. There is no limit on the amount of names or times you can enter.

3. This is open to everyone (overseas entries are fine).

4. LEAVE your email or a way to get a hold of you.

I will chose the top 10 names that I like and next week at apron night, all the SSC ladies will get to vote for their top 5 favorite names and the one with the most votes wins. That's it - feel free to spread the word, blog it, link it, or don't. May the coolest most buxomy name win.

(p.s. if you don't win or just want to make one yourself. Meg has the Lucy ebook pattern for $7 on her site - just follow any of the numerous links)

It's so easy to start a new project to buy fabric, patterns, and even cut it out. It's another mountain all together to complete the project and be able to move on... as I will illustrate below.

Actually this skirt began as a prize for my family raffle at our reunion. I didn't have any ready made so I "IOU'd" a skirt to whoever won, actually 4 of them. Well, my tall skinny niece won and when shopping for fabric everything was "not my style" (Amy Butler, Moda, Michael Miller... if that's not for every hip girl out there what is?!?) This East coast girl gave me serious anxiety, until I just decided I would pick a style and fabric and she can toss it if it doesn't jive will her ultra cool East coast ways. I love the finished result. The fabric is from Hobby Lobby and the ladies there thought it was great... three more to go.

This are some of my adorable preschool students (Karsyn and Tessa) and they are modeling the smocks I made for preschool. Yeah, your like smocks... oooh hard stuff. But this was a major mountain. I gave away all my little kiddie aprons to Paige's kindergarten class because they were too big for my preschoolers. I intended to make replacements the following year.

Flash forward to last year - still slowly working on them here and there. Finally I got the drive and Season 10 of Dallas from Netflix and went to town. I have 5 pink and 5 Lightning McQueen red ones. I don't expect to have 10 students at one time, but it's nice to have backups.

Here are 4 of my 5 girls donning these loverly little smocks.

It's made out of plastic table cloth fabric (you know the kind that is cottony on one side). I also made a plain cotton liner for the inside, so they wouldn't rip it to shreds. Then I finished the arm holes with a pink double sided bias tape.

The big 2 inch strip of velcro is probably my favorite part. I don't get any of... Miss Maren can you tie this, can you take this off, can you bla, bla, bla... because they can rip it off in a moments notice and the velcro also helps to get a custom fit out of a generic sized article - yahoo!!

This is a set for our friend Chelsea who is having a "Piper" any minute now.

I trimmed a changing cover in polka dot brown bias tape. The edges were tricky, but it turned out great.

and here is the bath apron I made for her. It's a polka dot reversible towel with brown bias tape trim.

Very ugly squeaky shoes from Savers, cost $1. Ripped off the hideous plastic figurine on front and gave to Raheem, Jessie's dog (who also loves a good squeaky shoe).

Added one darling fabric flower made from flower tutorial.

And you get a pair of crazy but pretty squeaky shoes that will make you laugh at your friends little boy as he runs around your house for an hour, unsure of where the noise is coming from and too little to take them off (Thanks Gavin!).

Sunday, September 6, 2009

I did it. I made my own Humpty Dumpty doll using the pattern given by the ubber-talented Ikat Bag and I must say, I think he is very handsome. I think my favorite part is his shoes, I love that he has red soles. His very own pair of Louboutins, does this mean he is a metrosexual? Ty and I spent a long time looking through my fabric stash to come up with the perfect ensemble and I am pleased with how it all turned out. Would I make another one? Maybe. I learned a lot with this project and had to figure things out as I went along but because I absolutely love how he turned out, I am encouraged to maybe try it again, maybe he needs a companion...a girly Humpty Dumpty? It could happen.

Friday, September 4, 2009

I wanted to make a fabric flower for an embellishment, but was disappointed by some of the tutorials out there. They actually assumed I was going to put effort into making a fabric flower... as an eternal lazy arse I am always searching for the EASY-PEASY way to sew or make what I want for half the effort... so I came up with the "Slacker Mom Tutorial for Fabric Flowers" - to all my slacker kindred spirits out there... this one is for you!

1. Gather your scraps & cut them to the size you need. I cut 3" squares.

2. Choose 3 or 4 coordinating fabrics.

3. Figure out what order you want them cut out in. You will be cutting circle that graduate in size.

4. Cut your first (the largest) circle.

(this is how it will look)

(don't worry about making it a perfect circle, wonky circles are cuter, get chosen first for dodgeball, and more appreciated for their uniqueness by slackers... or we are just too lazy to grab a nearby cup to use as a template)

5. Cut out your second circle, making it just a tad smaller then the first.

6. Cut out your third wonky circle.

7. Cut out your last circle (smallest).

(stand back and take a gander - this is how they will look layered)

8. Don't forget to choose a cute button, plasticky thing-a-ma-bob, or bling to sew/glue/whatever as the center of your flower.

9. Next grab a needle & matchy thread and sew through all layers.

10. Sew a circle ( you can do this with the sewing machine, but it might not gather as easy... whatever you like best - go with it, it will look great!)

(You can see my stitching sucks, I don't like sewing by hand, but as it is only like 5 stitches, I can take it)

11. Fold it in half and rub-a-dub the heck out of it for like a minute or two. Christie calls this step "roughing it up".

(it should look like it had a binge drinking night out on the town by the time you get through with it) - tip: home decor & heavier weight fabrics fringe faster/easier then reg. cotton.

12. Pull your thread to tighten the stitches and create a small minuscule gather on the back, or don't and it can stay nice and flat (again I trust your judgment).

(here's what she looks like up to this point)

13. Sew your button on, or glue your bling thang.

(this is how the back of mine looks, not so pretty - but we embrace that as Slacker Moms)

14. Attach your hardware with some hot glue & fabric (to help adhere) - either a pin to adorn a freaking cute bag...

or an alligator clip so your daughter doesn't loose it while swinging on the monkey bars during recess... and waste what few productive minutes you spent out of the day.

Yeah!! Your done just in time to watch a few minutes HGTV before the baby wakes up from her nap or you feel inclined to get dressed before the kids/husband come home from school/work.

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A Little About Us...

We began with a mutual love of aprons. Having never sewn at all, a couple of us decided to get together and try our hand at sewing an apron. And the Secret Stitch Club was formed (we got our name from Maren's husband who sarcastically asked us one time if we put a secret stitch in our aprons). Almost two years and dozens of aprons later, we still meet weekly to sew, chat, share ideas, eat, and laugh. We share our latest creations and newest inspirations on this blog. Thanks for visiting us!